Question

Name the plant known as "Terror of Bengal". Why is it called so?

Answer 1

Hint: This is an exotic shrub that is growing at an alarming rate on the surface of the water body. This plant is called "German weed" in Bangladesh.

Complete answer:
The aquatic plant Eichhornia crassipes is known as "Terror of Bengal'' and also called water hyacinth. This is because it hampers the growth of fish and other aquatic organisms by cutting down the supply of sunlight and dissolved oxygen in the water bodies. Native to tropical and subtropical South America, water hyacinth is a free-floating aquatic or hydrophytic plant.
Because of its beautiful flowers and shapes of leaves, in India, water hyacinth was introduced to Bengal in the year 1884, but soon it turned out to be an invasive weed draining oxygen out from the water bodies and resulted in the devastation of fish stock. Thus the water hyacinth was referred to as the "Beautiful Blue Devil" in Bengal, and "Bengal Terror" elsewhere in India.
Water orchids with broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, may rise above the surface of the water the maximum amount as 1 meter or 3 feet tall. Its stem is additionally floating with the help of buoyant bulb-like nodules at its base. Long, spongy and bulbous stalks and feathery, freely hanging purple-black roots are also found in the water hyacinth. The flowers are attractive, mostly lavender to pink in color with six petals.
As the numerous water hyacinths are floating in water bodies, blocking the sunlight from entering the water, and after decay, it will consume a lot of dissolved oxygen in the water, pollute the water quality, and cause a large number of deaths of other aquatic plants and animals. Reproduction of underwater animals such as fish will be hampered, and even a large number of fish will die. Water hyacinth is also competing with other aquatic floating and submerged plants and also algae for minerals, nutrition, sunlight, etc.

Note:
- An aquatic plant the water hyacinth is native to the Amazon basin, and outside its native area, it will become a highly problematic invasive species.
-In 1884 water hyacinth was introduced to North America at first and later to Asia, Africa, and Australia. Since they are having no natural enemies in the new location, they multiply quickly and cause rapid disaster.
-The biodiversity of the local ecosystem has been seriously affected by the outbreak of water hyacinth and it has also threatened the production, life, and health of the community residents.